All the Pretty Things
by PJ Blindclown
Summary: Lief is away most of the time. Anna is now three years old. Jasmine is managing as best she can, but it's not easy.
1. Waiting

(A/N.) I started writing this story a few years ago while I had Glandular Fever, and just found it recently. So I decided to put it up here. I came up with the idea for it while listening to "She Only Wanted Flowers" by David Adam Byrnes.

Disclaimer: I don't own Deltora Quest. Nor do I own the song, from which I have borrowed the lyrics used in the title. "She Only Wanted Flowers" was written by Adam Fears.

Chapter One:

Waiting

When Lief became king, he had promised to be a man of the people. For of course, that was how he had been raised. But then, not long after, he had shut himself away in the library, away from his people, like the kings and queens before him who had allowed Deltora to fall into the hands of the shadow lord. But now that those days were over, Lief appeared to be keeping his word. If the people were patient enough, they would see their king in time. When asked why he did this, Lief would reply that he was not just the king of Del, and that all other people of the kingdom had just as much right to meet him personally as those in the city where he lived.

But Jasmine honestly believed that being a "man of the people" did not have to mean travelling around the kingdom what felt like most of the time, leaving her to care for three year old Anna with the help of Sharn and Lindal, who had become Anna's nursemaid.

At first, Jasmine had not minded this at all. Anna had been born early and small, and at times, she seemed more in need of constant care than other children her age. So it made sense that Jasmine should dedicate most of her time to caring for her while Lief ran the kingdom.

But now, Anna was older, healthier, and more energetic. At three years old, she was the spitting image of her mother. Small, slight build, elfin face, black hair, green eyes, and apparently, she had also inherited her mother's ability to climb and balance on surfaces that seemed impossibly high. Lief was away, as was usual these days, and so it was up to Jasmine to try and get her down. This morning, the breakfast table was Anna's surface of choice.

"You must come down now, Anna," Jasmine said for the third time. The bowl of sliced fruit that Jasmine had prepared for Anna was not far from the child's bare feet, and Jasmine was worried that at any moment Anna would send it flying, or at least to the kitchen floor.

"You must eat your breakfast," She continued. "Mama has things to do at the palace, and you must come with me."

For a moment, Anna's feet stopped dancing on the tabletop, and Jasmine thought that she had won this round. That was, until Anna looked at her with rage in her eyes. "No!" Anna shouted. "I am waiting here!" Now, Jasmine was puzzled. Anna had given her many reasons why she would not do something before, but this was something different. As it happened, this moment of brief puzzlement was Jasmine's undoing. In her anger, Anna's foot stamped on the table, and as Jasmine had feared it might, the bowl of fruit went flying. For a split second, it seemed airborne. Then it fell shattering to the floor. Shards of glass and slices of apple, orange, pair and strawberry went everywhere. At that moment, Jasmine could only be grateful that she had already dressed and put on shoes.

But Anna was still wearing her pink nightdress, her hair was as wild as ever, and she was wearing nothing on her feet. Breakfast for Anna, Jasmine decided, would have to wait until she got to the palace. Just now, there was a child still to dress, and a floor to clean. As usual, they were not going to get to the palace on time for the full moon meeting, which Jasmine was expected to attend while Lief was away.

Anna was staring at the broken bowl on the floor, and seemed to be surprised by what she had done. Jasmine took this opportunity to make her move.

"Look, Anna, you have broken your bowl." She said, trying not to show the child that she was annoyed. "All your fruit is on the floor now; it is no good to eat. Now, I will have to carry you out of here, so the glass doesn't cut your feet."

"No, Mama, I stay here," Anna replied, as Jasmine made a grab for her.

"I am waiting for Papa to come home, like he said. I stay here till he gets back, then we go to the palace."

Now Jasmine understood what her daughter had meant when she said she was waiting. When Lief had left for Dread mountain a week ago, he had told Anna that he would be back soon. At three years old, Anna did not understand time at all, and now that Jasmine thought about it, she realised that Anna had probably expected Lief to return not five minutes after he had left. It angered her that Lief made such promises to his daughter, giving no thought for the way a small child's mind worked, and having no regard for her feelings at all. This was one of many things that angered her about Lief's absence. What Anna did not know was that Lief would be attending the full moon meeting on Dread Mountain today, and then traveling to Tora tomorrow. He was not expected to return for another week.

"You cannot stay here and wait for Papa, Anna, he will not be happy if he sees you standing on the table, in your nightdress, with your food all over the floor. You don't want to make him sad now, do you?" Jasmine hoped that her words would have some impact on her daughter's behaviour, and it did.

Anna's little face fell. "No, I don't want to make him sad." She said, her bottom lip trembling.

"Right then," said Jasmine, feeling better about the situation. "Let me carry you out of the kitchen. You've already shown me how well you can climb today, how about you show me how well you can run? I will race you to your room, and then we'll find something pretty for you to wear." Jasmine had learned that such games often worked with Anna, especially in situations like this one, and today was no different. Anna's face lit up as she walked to the edge of the table and allowed Jasmine to lift her, carry her out of the kitchen, and set her down in the living room.

"Ready?" Jasmine asked, trying to put as much enthusiasm in her voice as she could. "One, two, three, go!"

Both of them ran the short distance to Anna's small room. Anna won the race, and Jasmine applauded her. Now, all she had to do was dress her, comb her hair, clean up the mess on the kitchen floor, and then they could go.

"What would you like to wear today, Anna?" Jasmine knew that letting Anna choose her own outfit would only take up more time, but she did not want the little girl to be upset again. As she watched Anna survey the items of clothing in her cupboard, she thought that a child such as Anna should not have such fine things to wear for days like this. Certainly, Anna was the princess of Deltora, and so should dress accordingly, but surely that did not mean wearing clothes that looked as if they should only be worn on special occasions while being cared for by Sharn, or playing in the palace gardens with Marilen's son and Lindal's children. Often during these times they got torn or dirty, and Jasmine had already had to get rid of many of these for that very reason.

Eventually, Anna chose a white dress made of fine Toran fabric, and as Jasmine helped her put it on, she thought with dismay that it would need to be soaked overnight to get rid of the stains that would surely appear throughout the day. For once, Anna did not protest as Jasmine combed her hair and tied it with ribbon, then helped her put on a pair of plain shoes that did not at all match her dress. As Jasmine looked at both their reflections in the mirror that hung on the wall beside the cupboard, she thought that Anna looked like the one who would speak at the meeting today, rather than herself.

Jasmine gave Anna a pencil and a piece of paper to occupy her while she cleaned the kitchen floor, and then lead her by the hand out of the forge and up the hill toward the palace. People waved as they passed, and both Jasmine and Anna waved back.

They met Sharn at the palace gates. Sharn took one look at Jasmine's tired face and her heart ached. While Lief was away, Jasmine had to take care of Anna, as well as manage things in Del, and despite the fact that Jasmine did very well; Sharn could see how hard it was for her. The smiles she gave the people waiting on the lawn seemed forced, and her eyes were deeply shadowed, as though she had not slept for days. Even Filli, who was in his usual place on her shoulder, looked as though he could do with a good night's rest.

Anna, on the other hand, looked as bright and happy as ever. She ran over to Sharn, brandishing a paper. "Gran, Look!" She cried. Sharn looked at the paper, which was covered with scribbles. "I drawed this for Papa. It's him on the mountain! See?"

Sharn thought that the drawing looked nothing like Lief on Dread Mountain, but she did not tell Anna this. Instead, she smiled and took Anna by the hand.

"Anna has not had breakfast," Jasmine said as they walked toward the front doors. "She knocked her bowl of fruit to the floor. That is why I am so late; I had to clean up the mess. She was climbing on the table again. I am sorry."

"You are sorry?" Sharn asked, surprised. "What are you sorry for?"

Jasmine stepped a little closer to Sharn, the better to speak to her more softly.

"I do not feel that I am fit for any of this," She said quietly. "I feel that Lief was wrong. I cannot be the queen of this land, and right now I feel that I cannot even care for my own daughter properly. I could not get her down this morning, whatever I said, the bowl fell to the floor, and look at what she is wearing! I felt that if I did not let her choose her own outfit, she would throw another tantrum, which would make things worse than they were already, and all these people are waiting for me."

"Her dress is certainly something," Sharn commented with a slight smile in Anna's direction. "does she not have anything more practical?"

"No," Jasmine replied. "She is always being given these clothes, honestly, they come from everywhere! When I asked Lief if I should go to the market to buy her something that was better suited for playing, he told me that there was no need and that there was enough in her cupboard as it is. But it is disappointing when I have to get rid of such fine clothes because she has ruined them."

Sharn marvelled at the changes in Jasmine since she had known her. A few years ago, it would not have mattered to Jasmine how fine the clothes were, if they were not fit to wear, they were not fit to wear and that was the end of it. But now, Jasmine seemed to be really upset by the idea that such finery would need to be thrown away.

"Lief was not wrong to choose you as his bride," Sharn said gently. "Whatever you may think, you manage very well here. Far better than I could ever do. Do you not see it Jasmine? The people do not just come to you when they want something; they actually look forward to meeting with you. But Lief was wrong about Anna's clothes, and if he was here more often he would know that." Sharn chose her next words carefully, knowing that she was stepping on dangerous ground. "I know Lief is my son, and that I should support him in whatever he does. But I cannot help but feel that he is not doing right by you and Anna, leaving you alone so often for weeks at a time. I understand how capable you are, but it is madness that you should be expected to care for such a small child all the time. Honestly, if I was given a gold coin every time Lief broke something or was disobedient, I would've been the richest woman in Del by the time he turned five. But I had Endon with me all the time, and it made all the difference. If I may say so, Lief should not be worrying about everyone else in the kingdom just now, he should be here, and helping you, at least until Anna is a little older."

Now, Sharn knew that she had said too much. Seeing the sadness in Jasmine's eyes, she quickly changed the subject. "Never mind about Anna's clothes. I have some spare time in the evenings; I will make some for her. I will also keep her here for the night if you like, you look exhausted."

Sharn was relieved to see Jasmine's face relax.

"Thank you, Sharn," she said. "She really is a handful." Both women smiled as they walked through the entrance hall, and Jasmine mounted the stairs to allow the people to see her better.

As Sharn lead a chattering Anna toward the kitchens to get her something to eat, she thought that perhaps she should send a message to Lief, telling him of this morning's events and begging him to come home. Then she thought better of it, deciding that it was probably better to let Lief and Jasmine manage their own affairs.

As usual, there were many people who wanted to speak to Jasmine. With Marilen as her scribe, she answered questions, took requests and complaints, and gave the people an update on Anna's welfare. They were always interested to hear about their princess, and when they saw her, they were never disappointed. Jasmine was almost tempted to tell them how Anna behaved at home. But all the while, her mind was elsewhere. She was thinking about Lief, and how he was hardly ever in Del. She was also thinking of what Sharn had said, and wondering if anyone else thought as she did. She hoped that they did not. The last thing Jasmine needed was for gossips to begin speculating about why the king was away so often.

When the meeting ended, Jasmine's fears were confirmed when Marilen took her aside so they could talk in private.

"Sharn told me that Anna would be staying here for the night." She said quietly. "It is just as well, you look like death Jasmine. But do not worry. I am having the same trouble with Joseph. I do not know why Ranesh went with Lief this time, and to be honest, I do not care. Ranesh is one of Lief's closest advisers it is true, but he did not need to go to Dread Mountain and then to Tora, leaving me to look after Joseph and the library. He is just as bad as Anna, you know. I will be very surprised if the palace is still standing tomorrow; those two will have it down around our heads the way they are going."

Jasmine did not see how Joseph could be as bad as Anna; he always seemed very well behaved whenever she saw him. But Marilen did have a point. Jasmine could hear the two children having some sort of fight on the lawn just outside.

"I should go and sort that out," Marilen said, as one of them started to cry. "I will see you tomorrow Jasmine." With that, she walked out the front door, leaving Jasmine standing alone in the hall.

Back at the forge, Jasmine made a meal of the fruit that had not been spoiled, and then went straight to bed. But although she was tired, she found that she could not sleep. The bed felt cold without Lief there, and now that Marilen and Sharn had spoken with her about it, she felt Lief's absence more strongly. Looking out of the open window, Jasmine saw a shape flying toward the cottage. As it came closer, she saw that it was one of the messenger birds who had gone with Lief when he left. The bird flew through the window, dropped a small package on the bed, and then flew away just as quickly as it had come. Clearly, it was not expecting a reply.

Jasmine opened the package, and found an emerald ring and a small bracelet wrapped in a piece of paper. Jasmine smoothed it out, recognised Lief's handwriting and frowned as she read the message.

"Jasmine,

The ring is for you, to remind you that I have not forgotten you, and the bracelet is a gift for Anna from the Dread Gnomes.

With love,

Lief."

Jasmine looked at the bracelet more closely, and noticed that each link on the fine gold chain had a small stone fixed to it. These stones were miniatures of the ones on the belt of Deltora. No doubt Lief had found it cute. Then she wondered why Lief would send her a ring. Had he forgotten that his wife did not wear jewellery in any form? Had he been away that long? Or had he just wanted to send her something?

Jasmine found that she could not answer any of these questions. Putting the note, the bracelet and the ring on the bedside cabinet, she lay back down and tried once again to get to sleep.

(A/N.) I got the information about the behaviour of toddlers and how to deal with it from the parenting and child health section on the child and youth health website.

Also, thanks to EJ101 for the charm bracelet idea.


	2. The Decision

(A/N.) Here's another chapter. It's shorter than the previous one, but it's not really going to be one of those chapters that you'll want to read for ages. Things are getting worse.

Chapter Two:

The Decision

Lief had been following Broad River with Ranesh and Barda for many hours. They had left Dread Mountain at dawn, and were now approaching Where Waters Meet. They planned to stop their briefly to meet with some of the people, but Lief did not really want to. Nor did he want to go to Tora. He wanted to be at home with Jasmine and Anna, for he missed them both sorely. He knew that his time away was hard for Jasmine, especially with Anna as she was now, and Anna… Every time Lief saw her, she seemed taller, and when she had been a little younger, she had even forgotten who he was a few times.

Lief decided that when he reached Tora, he would speak with Zeean about returning sooner.

The people of Where waters meet were as cheerful as ever. They gave Lief, Barda and Ranesh a meal, and updated them on how their crops were faring. They also asked about Jasmine and Anna, and Lief found that he did not know how to respond. It was Ranesh who came to the rescue.

"The queen and the princess are doing well," he said, seeing the look on Lief's face. "The Queen is in good health, and as you all know, is quite friendly with my wife Marilen, and the little princess has become fine friends with my son Joseph."

The people smiled and congratulated their king on having such a beautiful wife and child, but Lief felt nothing but sadness upon hearing their words. He hardly knew what Anna was like these days, and whenever he thought of Jasmine, he could not help but feel that something was very wrong. Lief wished he had said more in the message he had sent her, but he did not know what else he would have said.

Lief also wondered how Ranesh knew how Anna and Jasmine were faring, considering that they had been together since they left for Dread mountain a week earlier. He decided that he would ask Ranesh this when they left Where Waters Meet.

When Jasmine returned to the palace the next Morning, she found Anna crying hysterically, and Sharn and Lindal trying in vain to comfort her.

"No!" She was wailing. "I will not! I will not eat until Papa is here!"

Jasmine sat down in a kitchen chair, already feeling exhausted despite the early hour. "But surely you are hungry, Anna?" Sharn asked soothingly, placing a steaming cup of herbal tea in front of Jasmine.

"No!" Anna repeated. "I want my Papa here now!"

"But he cannot be here now," Lindal said, a little more firmly. With three children already, Lindal knew better than Jasmine did how to handle situations like this one, and as she had done many times before, Jasmine thanked the heavens that she and Lief had chosen her to be Anna's nursemaid. "If you wait for your Papa," Lindal was saying, "You could be waiting a very long time, and who knows how hungry you will be when he gets back? I don't think he would be very happy with me if I let you starve to death."

Anna's crying had lessened a little, and Sharn got a cloth to wipe the little girl's face. "Lindal is right, you know." She said as Anna blew her nose. "Papa would be very sad indeed if he came back to find that we had not given you anything to eat. How about you take three spoonful's of porridge, and then you can go to the library to play with Joseph?"

Jasmine sat silently through all this. These two women seemed to be doing fine without her, and this made her feel even less able to care for her daughter, whom she loved dearly.

"I will eat with you Anna," she said, breaking her silence. "Will I do for now?"

For the first time since Jasmine had entered, Anna looked up. She seemed almost surprised that her mother was in the room, sitting in a chair, and drinking a cup of tea. "Mama!" She cried, her face lighting up at the sight of Jasmine. "I think you gone too!"

Jasmine felt relieved that Anna seemed to have already forgotten why she had been upset earlier, despite the tears that were still drying on her face. "No," she said. "I was not gone, I was only at our house. Remember? You stayed the night here with Gran and Lindal, and now I am here too."

Jasmine was once again relieved when Anna picked up her spoon and began to eat. Despite what she had promised her daughter, she did not really want anything for breakfast herself. The decision she had made as she tried to sleep the previous night was weighing heavily on her mind, and although Sharn was the last person she wanted to tell, Jasmine knew she had to. 'It is for the best,' she thought to herself, 'especially for Anna. I cannot bring her up in our home as it is now.'

"Three!" Anna's shrill cry interrupted her thoughts.

Jasmine looked up, but instead of looking at Jasmine or Lindal, Anna was looking at her Grandmother.

"I have three spoons Gran," she said seriously. "Can I go play with Joseph now?"

"Of course," Sharn said, giving Anna a small smile. "That was the deal, was it not?"

Anna ran giggling from the room, and as she did, Jasmine noticed that she was wearing a shirt and leggings, rather than one of the dresses she usually could be found in.

"They belonged to Brid," Lindal said, seeing Jasmine looking at the outfit with interest. "I think he outgrew them a year ago, and of course, they would not fit Berry either. I am glad I did not get rid of them, as we seem to have some use for them here."

Lindal had given birth to Berry and Brid a year before Anna had been born, but already the twins were far bigger than her.

"Thank you, Lindal." Jasmine said, not looking forward to what she was about to say. "I have made a decision, Sharn, about Lief."

The room fell silent, even the cooks had stopped their work to listen. Though Jasmine's words were spoken softly, all who were in the room heard them. The tone of the young woman's voice frightened some of the older cooks, who had seen much throughout their years, and none of them wanted to think of what this might mean. But still, they listened as she continued.

"I know you will not like this, but things cannot go on as they are." Jasmine drew a deep breath. Thinking of what she wanted to say had seemed easy at the time, but now, it was far more difficult to articulate the words that had repeated themselves in her mind as she lay in the bed that was meant to be shared with her husband.

"Lief… He cannot come back to the forge. Not if he will only leave again within a few weeks. It is too hard for Anna, and…"

Jasmine broke off. She could not say anymore. She could not bring herself to speak aloud the emotions that had all come to the surface last night. But Sharn, always one for comforting those who were unhappy, seemed to understand completely what Jasmine was going through. Jasmine wanted to hate Lief's mother for this, but she found that she could not.

As Jasmine leant into her mother in-law's embrace, she finally allowed the tears she did not even know she was holding back to fall, and spoke the words that she had kept to herself since Lief had left a week ago.

She spoke of the promises Lief always made after returning from such journeys, the promises to return sooner the next time that he never kept. She spoke of her fears for Anna, who longed for her father's attention and time. And then, finally, she spoke of the plans she had made, and how she would carry them out.

All the while, Sharn listened. It broke her heart to know that her son's marriage might have come to this after only a few short years, but when she thought about how things had been of late, she was not surprised that it had. Certainly, she felt sympathy for Lief, whom she had loved and cared for since before he had even been born, but Sharn was also a mother, and she knew that whatever Jasmine's feelings about Lief might be now, she still loved him. Jasmine had not made this decision for herself, she only wanted to protect her daughter from the anguish that was currently thriving in the royal household. Sharn felt a surge of pride as she realised how brave Jasmine truly was, and how lucky Lief was that he had her as his wife. She only hoped that Lief would come home and put things right before it was too late.


	3. Memories

(A/N.) This was not my original plan for this chapter, and it does diverge a little from the plot, but I felt it necessary to tell a little of Anna's backstory.

Chapter Three:

Memories

Tora was as beautiful as ever, But Lief appreciated nothing about it as he made his way toward the square, where the meetings were held. People bowed low as he passed, but Lief just kept moving. He wondered if the people would realise that he did not want to be there at all, and he almost felt guilty for coming.

In the square, Zeean was waiting for him. Lief noticed that she looked almost unhappy to see them, and wondered why. Surely, there could be nothing wrong, as far as Lief knew; the relationship between Del and Tora had been repaired since the "Toran plague" disaster a few years ago.

"I received a message from Sharn." Zeean said quietly, noticing Lief's questioning gaze upon her.

"She wrote yesterday, and in her message she seemed… Worried."

"Worried?" Lief asked, alarmed.

"Worried about what?"

"It is probably nothing Lief," Barda said quickly, seeing the look on Lief's face.

Zeean glanced in his direction. "Sharn did not go into great detail," she began. "I think she wanted someone to talk to more than anything else, and everyone in the palace was too close to the issue for her to speak comfortably about it. It seems that Jasmine is having some trouble with Anna."

Lief paled. "What do you mean?" He asked, remembering the problems that Anna had had in her earliest days. "Is she unwell?"

"I do not think so," Zeean said. "But as I said, Sharn did not give many details. All she told me was that Jasmine looked tired when she saw her yesterday, that Anna was staying with her in the palace overnight, and that she was making new garments for her."

Lief found this last piece of information to be rather strange. The last time he had seen Anna's wardrobe, it had been filled with fine garments for Anna. Why would his mother feel the need to make more?

Now, he decided, was the perfect opportunity to ask Zeean if he could leave Tora early.

"Zeean," He began awkwardly. "I know that there is still much work to be done on the relationship between Del and Tora, and I value our time together as much as you do,"

"But you wish to return to your family." Zeean finished for him. "I understand Lief," She said gently. "As do all in Tora. Your wife and young daughter are the most important thing in your life just now, and we will not get in the way of you being there for them."

Lief felt guilty when he heard these words. The way he saw it, the kingdom was the most important thing to him, and everything that he loved came second. That included Jasmine and Anna. But now, he was not so sure that he was taking the right approach. The way that Zeean, Ranesh and Barda were all looking at him made him feel more than a little uneasy. All of them seemed to know what was going through his mind, and the fact that he had not said a word for several moments was telling them more than if he had spoken.

"Go Lief." Ranesh said, at last breaking the silence. "I will speak with the Torans on your behalf. Jasmine and Anna need you more than they do just now."

"He is right," Zeean said. "We will speed you to Del now, so that you may reach it before nightfall."

"Thank you, Zeean." Lief said quietly. "I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your understanding."

As he sped to Del, Lief thought about what Zeean had said. Despite her assurances that all would be well when he reached home, both Lief and Zeean knew that this may not be the case. Into Lief's mind came a memory from the days after Anna's birth. She had been tiny, and Lief remembered almost being able to hold her in his hands. It was during such a time, as Lief sat holding Anna as she slept, that the unthinkable happened.

Always, Lief would remember how he and Jasmine had been admiring Anna's little face, when all of a sudden it began to turn blue. It was at that same moment that Lief noticed with horror that his daughter's tiny chest had stopped moving. It was after hearing the cries of the two horrified parents that a trader, (who had been visiting from the island of Dorne) ran into the room. "Give her to me," the thin man said sharply to Lief. Seeing Lief hesitate, the man ran toward him and with one quick movement, snatched Anna out of his arms. Both Lief and Jasmine had jumped up and tried to take their daughter back. "Get them out of here!" The man had shouted to Barda, who had run into the room upon hearing the noise. "Don't worry," the man said calmly to Barda, who had drawn his sword. "I won't harm the little princess; I am a healer at home. It isn't going to help the babe to have her parents panicking like this."

Seeing that the man meant business, Barda had dragged Lief and Jasmine from the room, ignoring their efforts to break free.

"What is happening?" Jasmine had screamed as Barda finally let her and Lief go.

As if in answer to the question, the healer came out of the room, and handed Anna back to Lief. Lief would never forget how relieved he had felt to see that his daughter's face had regained its usual rosy hue, and that her chest was rising and falling slowly, as though nothing had happened.

"There," the healer said softly, stepping back a little. "The little princess gave us quite a fright there, but she is alright now."

"What happened?" Lief asked stupidly. "Why did she stop breathing?"

The healer took a short while to answer, and when he finally spoke, both Lief and Jasmine became even more frightened.

"This babe was born early, was she not?" He asked, and upon seeing Jasmine nod, he continued.

"This ailment is common in such little ones. It doesn't have a name, but I have seen it many times throughout my career, and before I tell you anything else, I will tell you that all the babes I have treated have survived and grown into perfectly healthy children."

"But why is this happening?" Jasmine interrupted. "You still have not told us that."

Lief remembered feeling annoyed at how calmly the man had looked at Jasmine as he spoke his next words. Now, he understood that it was part of a healer's job not to show any emotion, but he had not known that then.  
"Your little one stopped breathing just now, because her lungs are not yet working correctly. If you had carried her for a full nine months, her lungs would have had enough time to develop enough so that things like this would not happen. But as it is, they have not, and so the only treatment for this is time. No medicines or drugs can make her better, and even if they could, I would strongly advise you not to give them to one so small."

The healer allowed Lief and Jasmine a few moments to take all this in before going on. Lief also noticed that Doom and his mother had come closer in order to listen.

"As it happens, the little princess started breathing again just now with very little help from me. You will find that this will happen most of the time. If it does not, simply rub her back, arms or legs."

"And if that does not work?" Sharn asked.

"Then you will need to force air into her lungs." The healer replied in what Lief was beginning to recognise as his usual businesslike manner.

"There is a device of my own invention which can be made with a paper bag and a mask that allows you to do this, But as I said, you should not need it."

At that moment, Anna's eyes opened, and after blinking a few times, she began to cry. It was only after Jasmine plucked their daughter from her Father's arms, and went back into the bedchamber to feed her that the man stepped a little closer to Lief.

"Forgive me for saying this, your majesty, but in Dorne they say that…" He stopped there, as if he feared that whatever they said in Dorne might damage relations between the two countries.

"Go on," Lief said, curious despite himself. "It cannot be that bad." Seeing the man's continued hesitation, he continued. "In Deltora, they still say many things about my wife and me. I am almost certain that nothing they say in Dorne would shock me."

The man was still looking at Lief, as though considering the consequences of what he might say, when Jasmine returned with Anna.

"Your timing is perfect Anna," Lief said, addressing the baby despite knowing that she would understand nothing of what he said. "Our friend here was just about to tell us what they say about us in Dorne. Will that not be interesting?"

Anna blinked up at her Father, and then, as if bored, closed her eyes and went to sleep.

"You'll find she'll do that a lot," the healer said to Lief. "But I suppose now I have to tell all of you what they say on Dorne. It is said that you, your wife and a man named Barda spend a lot of time traveling your kingdom, even that you have saved the kingdom a few times by doing so." Seeling Lief and Jasmine nodding, he went on. "I know that you want your daughter to know her land, and to learn to love it as you do, but you cannot be traveling with her just now. A babe like her needs your constant care and attention. Neither of you should leave her until she is at least a year old, and if she were mine, I would not take her out of Del until she is at least three. That way she will have enough time to grow out of the problems she is having now."

"And will she grow out of them completely?" Jasmine asked.

Again, the healer hesitated. "You must tell us the truth," Lief said.

"I never make promises I can't keep," the healer began. "But it is very likely that she will. It is only in a few cases that I have seen children grow up to have some other problems with their lungs, but even they go on to live healthy lives. I can tell you with perfect honesty that not one child I have seen with this condition has died from it, or anything that happens afterward."

A few days after that conversation had taken place, the healer from Dorne returned there with his brothers. He had given Lief and Jasmine more information and advice about how to best help Anna, but Lief had not seen him since then. Other traders from Dorne had come, including the healer's older brother, but the healer himself had not been with them. Lief hoped with all his heart that the healer was right, and that Anna had grown out of all her problems, but he decided that if he was not, he would contact the chieftain of Dorne, and ask that the healer be sent to Deltora at once.

But then, another thought came into Lief's mind. This healer from Dorne had had seemed very good at his job, and confident in what he did. So there was a chance that he was indeed right about Anna's health. But if Jasmine's problems with their daughter were not caused by her health, then what was the cause?

When Lief finally reached the city gates of Del, he found that he had never been gladder to have travelled by Toran magic. Whatever was happening, he had to know.

(A/N.) Yes, for those of you who were wondering, the healer from Dorne was Sholto.


End file.
